Productivity Tools
Beyond Printing
Color multifunction machines, such as Konica Minolta's new laser magicolor 2480 MF, make it easier for your employees to print, copy, fax, and scan. This $699 unit can save time, boost morale, and ultimately reduce costs. It's inexpensive enough for dedicated use by small work groups, and produces high-quality prints at a fraction of the cost of similar inkjet-based units.
For quick and cost-effective printing of posters, flip charts and other large display materials, take a look at a large format color inkjet printer. Exhibition-quality prints can be output with the Epson Stylus Pro 9800 ($4,995) for 36-inch widths, and Canon's imagePROGRAF W8400 ($4,995) for up to 44-inch widths. Cost-of-use varies, but the reported average of around $1 per square foot is way less than the price at commercial print shops.
Technical and design firms that frequently output CAD and other technical files should consider lease or purchase of an HP large format printer. The new HP Designjet 4500 Printer series (starts at $10,995) combines 2400x1200 optimized dpi image quality, high-throughput color printing, and dual rolls up to 500 feet.
Smart Software
Scanning, editing, and archiving a wide range of document types can be a complicated and time-consuming business. In addition to advanced scanning and OCR capabilities, OmniPage 15 ($150) from Nuance Communications includes powerful batch conversion tools to quickly convert Microsoft Office documents, Visio charts, and other files to the ubiquitous compressed PDF format. Converted files maintain their original look and formatting, can be easily edited, and resaved using the program's Universal Document Conversion feature.
Stepping up to a serious accounting program such as QuickBooks 2006 can improve your financial management and planning, and makes it easier to work with your accountant. The latest Premier edition ($400) of this popular program features a newly designed intuitive user-interface and analysis tools for budgeting and forecasting, and is available in industry-specific versions.
The process of increasing productivity can be exciting, if you select tools that make your business more visible and easier to manage.
Automation--The First Step Toward Compliance
As the effects of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act continue to ripple throughout corporate America, companies of all sizes are waking up to some startling facts*:
- 45% of all companies experience fraud
- 22.1% of all fraud schemes are related to expense reimbursement
- The median cost of each fraud incidence is $60,000 (up from $20,000 in 1996)
*Source: The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
Concur Expense Service automates and streamlines the entire expense reporting process. By delivering the control, visibility and fraud intelligence every organization needs, Concur's Web-based on-demand service enables companies of all sizes to identify and prevent fraud within the expense reporting process and rapidly comply with Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404. For more information, call 1-888-800-4883 or visit www.concur.com/compliance.
Speedy Color Laser Printing
KONICA MINOLTA's magicolor® 5450 color laser, with its astounding speed and quality, is everything you need in an affordable business printer. Its 667 MHz processor delivers your first page in 14 seconds, and races through subsequent prints at 27 ppm in color and black-and-white. Featuring PostScript® 3 and PCL® 6 emulations and a high-performance controller, the magicolor 5450 is multi-platform compatible to support Windows®, Macintosh® and Linux®. And, its Gigabit Ethernet® interface enables it to process jobs from the fastest network connection available. The magicolor 5450 also features revolutionary color technology to give important business documents that compelling "wow" factor. Backed by five years of free, U.S.-based technical support, you can rely on this investment for years of trouble-free printing.
For more information, call 1-800-523-2696 or visit www.buymagicolor.com.
